Former U.S. national team coach Bruce Arena, in an interview with MLS’s ExtraTime radio, responded to some of current U.S.
coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s comments on MLS players and the league's schedule.

On Klinsmann’s notion that MLS
players aren’t playing enough and need to be more active in the offseason, Arena, coach of MLS champion Los Angeles, said, “The only
reason players around the world play 10 and a half months is because those clubs have to schedule that for revenue purposes. I think every club in the
world would tell you our players are run into the ground, they need more rest, and their time off is valuable. … There’s nothing wrong
with a player having six to eight weeks off. Your body needs time to recover.”

Arena, who coached the USA from 1998 to 2006, and in
2002 guided the team to the World Cup quarterfinals, added, “I don’t remember when our national team was doing well that anyone was
complaining about the fact that we had too much time off.”

Responding to a question about Klinsmann searching for an “American
style of play,” Arena said, “The American style is what we’ve always said it is and it hasn’t changed. It’s always been
that. There was this kind of rumor that all of a sudden we were going to have a team with the great flavor of the Hispanic player and Mexican-
Americans -- all of that. Do you see any of those on the field right now?”

He's correct. Lengthening the season would be stupid; appropriate off-seasons are essential, almost non-existent in the footy world, and one thing that MLS does right. Players should rest and fans should go without for a while, at least enough to really be hankering come opening day.

Walt Pericciuoli

commented on: January 27, 2012 at 10:18 a.m.

Hey, 6-8 weeks off means a 10 - 10 1/2 month season.Isn't that what Klinsi said?The problem is that the MLS off season does not not jive with FIFA.Also,I will be disappointed if we accept what we have as our "American" system and we shouldn't hope for better.

James Froehlich

commented on: January 27, 2012 at 1:48 p.m.

One of my biggest disappointments in observing the US soccer scene for the past 30 years has been the failure of Bruce Arena to develop and evolve in his coaching philosophy. In fact it would be nice if he even bothered to tell us what his philosophy is and what he sees as the US style of play. When the history of US soccer is written Arena will more than likely be seen as the US coach who most effectively used the predominant US traits of athleticism and physicality. Unfortunately Bruce never bothered to use his "bully pulpit" to attempt to improve the development of skillful players. Now a foreign coach (always bad because they don't understand the US player)has the audacity to try to develop a new style based on skill and possession. And more importantly, that foreign coach even takes the current player development structure to task for failing to develop skillful players. Now we finally hear from him. And what type of constructive criticism does our soccer sphinx provide? “The American style is what we’ve always said it is and it hasn’t changed. It’s always been that." How enlightening!! Now all you youth coaches go forth and develop! Bruce Arena should have and could have been the one to take us to the next level. Unfortunately he has been too busy to come down from his mountain.